Fuse-box.



Patented Apr. I, I902. H. R. SABGENT.

F U S E B O X.

(Application filed. Aug. 29. 1900.)

(No Model.)

i Inventor. Howard Rfiarg-enf.

1 JEE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

HOWARD R. SARGENT, OF SOHENEOTADY, NEXV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERALELECTRlC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEXV YORK.

FUSE-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 69 6,497, dated April1, 1902. Application filed August 29, 1900. Serial No. 28,431. (Nomodel.)

To (0% whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HOWARD R. SABGENT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuse Boxes, (Case No.1,482,) of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion relates to fuse-boxes; and its specific embodimentdisclosed herein is in a contact device through which connection is madefrom main to auxiliary circuits.

Of the drawings, Figure l is a plan view showing the interior of thebase of the contact device. Fig. 2 is a plan of the under side of thecover. Fig. 3 is a section along the line X X of the base and cover asassembled, and Fig. 4 is a section of the assembly, taken through thecontacts E and U.

Hitherto in fuse-boxes it has been customary to provide a chamber forthe fuse, the latter being connected at its ends to two terminals. Insuch cases unless the fuse is of impractically great length there isdanger after the fuse blows of an are being maintained for a greater orless length of time across the terminals, and thus seriously or totallydamaging the entire device. My invention consists of a means forpreventing danger of this sort.

Fig. 1 represents the base B, of suitable insulating material, such asporcelain, to which terminals L are secured for the reception of theline-wires. The base is formed with countersunk screw-holes S, wherebyit is adapted to be suitably secured to a ceiling or wall. A rim K isformed on the upper part of the base to form a large cavity, which isdivided into four parts by the ridges R and Q. After the cover is placedon the base these four divisions of the cavity are made separatechambers. Spring-contacts U are secured to the terminals L and areadapted to be engaged by terminals in the cover to complete thecircuitand secure the base and cover togetnc as described hereinafter.Aftcr the ass the cover 0 fits closely the top of the 1 and the holes Vin the rim K serve as vents for the chambers.

Fig. 2 shows the under side of the cover O, which is made of similarmaterial to that of the base B. It is formed with a depending rim J,divided into two parts, which rim fits within the rim K of the base B tokeep the base and cover in position with respect to each other. Includedwithin the rim J is acavity similar to that in the cover, and in thiscavity are mounted the various terminals. The cavity is dividedupinamanner-similar to that ofthe base by ridges R and Q, whichcorrespond with the ridges R and Q of the base B. E E are L- shapedterminals within the cavity,which are adapted toengage beneaththospring-contacts U of the base to secure the base and cover togetherand complete the circuit, as shown in Fig. a. T T are the workingterminals,to which the leads D D are connected, which leads extend outthrough a hole H in the top of the cover to form a branch circuit forone or more translating devices. The terminalsEE,Which are connectedwith the contacts of the base, are connected by fuses F F with theworking terminals T T, screws serving to secure to the respectiveterminals the clips to which the ends of the fuses are attached, as isthe common practice. Hitherto these fuses in wall or ceiling boxes ofthe type shown herein have been located entirely in a single chamber, sothat when they were blown there was a liability to arcing between eachterminal E and its corresponding terminal T. This danger is prevented inthe following manner: The ridge R divides the chamber between theterminals E and T into two parts, thus separating the terminals; but asprovision must be made for the passage of the fuse the ridge is providedwith grooves A, in which the fuses are laid. lVhen the cover is mountedupon the base, as shown in Fig. 3, the ridge R closes up the grin)" inthe ridge R, thus forming a ver t passage for the fuse, inclesed, exce tto its ends, and through which passage there is little likelihood of anyare being established. WVhen the cover and base are assembled, not onlyare the grooves A covered to form the closed passages, but the cavitieson theopposite sides of the ridges of both the cover and the base arebrought together to form chambers on opposite sides of the adjoiningridges, so that each end por tion of the fuses has substantiallyaseparate chamber, the chambers being connected only by the very smallpassages for the fuses. Furthermore, the fuse passes through the openingwhich is formed by the integral portions of the insulating members,which also form the partition itself, and consequently it isnotnecessary to adapt the main portions of the insulating members for thepassage of the fuse. Again, as both the cover and base are formed withdepressions, in which are located the ridges which form the partition,each chamber on'a side of the partition consists of the correspondingdepressions of the cover and base. The-operation of replacing a burnedfuse is as easy as if there were no inclosed passagefor it, as after thecover 0 is removed a new fuse is simply placed in the groove A in theridge. Since the terminals T and E are of opposite polarity, the ridgesQ of the cover and the ridge Q of the base when brought together serveto separate these terminals from each other, and thus prevent arcing.Passages P are formed in the cover between the pairs of ridges Q and R,so that the wires D can be led from the terminals T to the depression inthe center of the coverand thence out through the hole 11.

Having'thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with the members B and O, of the ridges R, R, Q, Q,the terminals T and U and the fuses F, F.

2. The combination with two insulatingdisks each formed with adepression and with a ridge in the depression, of means for holding thedisks together so that the ridges register to form a partition having anopening, terminals on one disk on opposite sides of its ridge, a fuseconnecting said terminals and passing through said opening, andterminals on the other disk which are connected with said terminals whenthe disks are held together. V

3. The combination with two insulatingdisks each formed with adepression and with a ridge, the ridge on one disk being formed with agroove, means for holding the disks together so that the ridges registerto form a partition, terminals on one disk on opposite sides of itsridge; a fuse connecting said terminals and passing through thepartition at the groove in said ridge, and terminals on the other diskwhich are connected with said terminals when the disks are heldtogether.

4. The combination with two insulating members which together form achamber, of two terminals mounted on one of said members, a fuseconnecting said terminals, an in tegral insulating-partition formed bytwo ridges integral with the two insulating members, which divides saidchamber into two parts, the fuse extending through the partition, andmeans for securing the two insulating members together.

5. The combination with two insulating members each formed with adepressiomwhich together form a chamber, of twov terminals mounted onone of said members, a fuse connecting said terminals, a ridge integralwith each insulating member, so formed that when the members are broughttogether to form a I members each formed with a depression whichtogether form a chamber, of two terminals mounted on one of saidmembers, a'fuse connecting said terminals, a ridge integral with one ofsaid members and formed with a groove for the reception of the fuse, aridge integral with the other member, so located that when the membersare assembled toform a chamber, the ridges will lie adjacent to form apartition having an opening for the passage of the fuse, said partitiondividing the chamber formed by the members into two parts, and terminalson the other disk which are connected with said terminals when theinsulating members are held together.

7. In a contact device, the combination with an insulating-base andcover adapted to form a chamber, line-terminals in the base, terminalsin the cover adapted to engage with those in the base, work terminals inthe cover, fuses connecting the work-terminals with the other terminalsof the cover, and an integral insulating-partition through which thefuses pass, which partition is formed by two ridges integral with thebase and cover, the chamber being located between the work-terminals andthe other terminals of the cover and being divided into two parts by thepartition.

8. In a contact device, the combination with an insulating-base andcover adapted together to form a chamber, line-terminals in the base,terminals in the cover adapted to engage with those in the base,work-terminals in the cover, fuses connecting the work-terminals withthe other terminals in the cover, a ridge integral with the base, and aridge integral with the cover, so located that when the base and coverare brought together to form a chamber located between thework-terminals andthe other terminals of the cover, the ridges form apartition having an opening for the passage of the fuse, said partitionvdividing the chamber into two portions.

9. In a contact device, the combination with an insulating-base andcover adapted to'be brought together to form a chamber, of lineterminalson the base, terminals in the cover the base, so located that when thebase and cover are brought together to form a chamber located betweenthe work-terminals and the other terminals in the cover, the ridges willform a partition having an opening through which the fuse extends, thechamber being divided into two parts by the partition.

10. In a contact device, the combination with an insulating-base andcover adapted to be brought together to form a chamber, ofline-terminals on the base, contact-springs connected therewith,terminals in the cover adapted to engage said contact-springs to connectthe cover-terminals with the line-termi nals and secure the cover to thebase, workterminals in the cover, fuses connecting the work-terminalswith the cover-terminals connected to the spring-contacts, and anintegral insulating-partition through which the fuse passes, the chamberformed by the base and cover being divided into two parts by thepartition, and said partition being formed by two ridges integral withthe base and cover.

11. In a contact device, the combination with an insulating-base andcover, of lineterminals on the base, terminals in the cover adapted tobe connected with the line-terminals, work-terminals in the cover, fusesconnecting the work-terminals withthc other cover-terminals, an integralinsulating-partition between each work-terminal and one of the othercover-terminals of opposite polarity, integral insulating partitionsbetween the terminals which are connected by fuses, openings beingformed in the latter partitions for the reception of the fuses, a holein the top of the cover for the entrance of the branchcircnit wires, andpassages from the workterminals between the partitions to said hole forthe reception of said Wires.

12. The combination with two insulating members, each formed withcorresponding depressions and with corresponding ridges in thedepressions, two terminals being mounted on one of the insulatingmembers on 0pposite sides of the ridge, and a fuse connecting suchterminals, whereby when the insulating members are assembled, theterminals will be separated from each other by a partition formed by theridges, and the portions of the fuse on opposite sides of the partitionwill lie in chambers formed by the depressions in the insulatingmembers. a

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of August,1900.

IIOXVARD R. SARGENT.

Vi tnesses:

BENJAMIN B. IIULL, FRED Russ.

